on March 22, 2021

Glarry GV102 4/4 Acoustic EQ Electric Solid Wood Violin White: REVIEW Scott A. Johnson First a little personal music history. When the angles were handing out musical talent I was standing in the Curiosity line for the second time. It is true that I am not a very good musician, I only play for the fun of it and haven't played in front of people since I played second chair tuba in my 5th grade band... and I was the only tuba player in the band and still only rated 2nd chair. Even with no music ...

Glarry GV102 4/4 Acoustic EQ Electric Solid Wood Violin White: REVIEW Scott A. Johnson First a little personal music history. When the angles were handing out musical talent I was standing in the Curiosity line for the second time. It is true that I am not a very good musician, I only play for the fun of it and haven't played in front of people since I played second chair tuba in my 5th grade band... and I was the only tuba player in the band and still only rated 2nd chair. Even with no musical talent I started playing Bass guitar about two years ago at the ripe old age of 60. I took a few lessons at the start, but mostly I learned on my own. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to buy a violin just to see if I could play it. And that is where this review starts....... About a week ago I was shipped, from the nice folks at Glarry Music, my order of a white Glarry Acoustic/Electric full sized violin. The violin, or fiddle if you like, comes in three colors, White, Black, or a stranded matte stained finish. Everything you cm buy at Glarry Music comes with free shipping and the only extra charge is the State sales tax. I would have paid $59.95 for the violin but I found a coupon online and even got a few bucks off. The first thing I noticed was that the violin came in a plastic shipping bag, not a cardboard box like all of my bass guitars came in. even my jazz bass I ordered from Glarry two years before, came in a cardboard box. With just a plastic bag, I was worried that there could be some damage. I opened the bag and took out the included violin case and opened it up. I did a quick scan of everything and was happy to see there was no visible damage. This shows that the case will do it's job and will protect the contents from normal handling or even UPS shipping. Next, I took the violin out and looked it over a best as I could. Everything looked OK with only a few minor cosmetic issues. On several places there were little bumps made up of dust or paint buildup. And there was a spot where the paint smeared on the neck. These little defects Do NOT affect the violin and can only be seen if you look very close. Considering the cost of this violin, these are really not a problem. I have seen this on some guitar costing hundreds of dollars. Overall the paint job and pinstripe detailing makes the Glarry violin look tremendous! The chin rest, fingerboard, and pegs are made of Ebony wood and make a perfect contrast to the white body. Inside the violin hard case, I found everything needed to play the instrument. An extra set of strings, a shoulder rest, electric tuner and microphone, a block of rosin, and a horsehair bow. I don't know how old the rosin was but I ended up tossing it out because it was all broken up and mostly powder. (I ordered a new block of rosin from Amazon for around $4 and it was delivered the next day. I have learned getting a broken up rosin block is common in many brands of violins because weather conditions and storage times can make the rosin crack. So, this again was not an issue.... The electric tuner that comes with the kit is really nice. The display shows everything you need to tune the strings. I only wish the display was bigger because I am blind in one eye and poor vision in the other. I found my bass guitar tuners work better for me but the one that comes with the kit is very VERY nice. If you look up a tuner like it online, you would find them selling for around $30, or one half the price of the whole violin kit. Next, let me talk about the strings. Glarry encloses one+++ set of strings on the violin and ads another set free with the kit. You get TWO sets of strings. The extra set came in very handy. When I was first tuning it I think I stretched out the tiny E string because it made a sound like an old spooky door on a Scooby-Doo cartoon. I asked my friends on the Facebook violin page what happened and was told that the string was bad. (my fault NOT GLARRYs)...I also found out that many, if not most people brake or damage a string or two the first time they try to tune a violin. Maybe that is why Glarry sends out two sets of strings. A Gold Star for Glarry. The last thing that comes with the kit is a nice looking horsehair bow. The bow is the one thing that I wish I got to pick or upgrade when I bought the violin. Again, I went on the Facebook page to ask questions about violin bows and even posted a few pictures. I could not tighten the bow hairs so the hairs touched the shaft of the bow. One of the answers I got was, try to force the bolt on to see if you can loosen it. They said it was a cheap bow and not working so if it brakes, you haven't lost anything. What that I forced the bolt and after playing with it, I got it to work. I rosined it up, with my new rosin and got the bow to work, but I spent another $40 and ordered a nice student carbon fiber bow and plan to keep the Glarry bow as a back up! I must say though:.. I did get it to work and again, given the price of the whole violin kit, forcing the bolt was not a problem. When I told Glarry about it in a Facebook post I was told that their costumer service would have worked with me to fix the problem. Again Glarry gets another Gold Star. I would suggest that anyone buying a Glarry violin watch several HOW-TO videos on YouTube on setting up a new violin, One very important thing every violin needs is a good, properly setup string bridge. The bridge that comes with the kit is not ready to snap in and go. I had to sand it down some and file the groves that hold the strings in place. This was not an issue for me and I liked working on it but not everyone would want to do this on their own. The instruction sheet isn't enough to get it up and working. My guess is most first-time violin owners would go to a music teacher and have them set up the fiddle. I made one last outside order and had Amazon send me a few bridges so I could cut them down to fit the violin. Again I like doing that kind of work but I know I'm not normal! My final recap of the Glarry GV102 Violin is This …. Dollar for dollar there is nothing on the market that comes close to the quality of the Glarry GV102 Violin. It isn't a pro-class, top-notch Stradivarius, but isn't meet to be one. It is a good quality Student level violin that is still above others in its price range. The company will work with its customers to help them get the most out of their instruments. The violins look great and with a little time and effort will play as good as any it their class. I Certainly would recommend This violin to anyone wanting to start out On a well-built instrument. . One more Gold Star for the Glarry GV102 Electric Violin!

on March 15, 2021

Thanks for the quick service....a few minor adjustments and it was all good...I'll be buying from you again..

on March 14, 2021

Very impressed with quality at an affordable price

on February 12, 2021

I do not play violin, but wanted to learn, so after a successful setup, it seems like a fair quality instrument. I'm having trouble with peg slip and it staying in tune, but overall I'm pleased.

on February 13, 2021

My violin arrived today. I'm impressed by it overall other than the fact that there are several areas where the paint has been chipped a large portion on the headstock is unpainted, and the bow has several broken hairs, and the tuning pegs have a tendency to slip out of place. But plugging it in is a really awesome feature it sounds nice with some reverb and delay. Update: Glarry is refunding me for the damaged parts. Thank you Glarry

on February 09, 2021

val and tone knobs where hanging out of the violin and I only found one screw in the case to fix it and it's just barely working I contacted Glarrymusic and there response was vary quick and help full best customer service I have ever dealt with

on February 07, 2021

I just got my fiddle today and it is great, shipping was fast and it was in excellent condition. Well worth the price.

on January 30, 2021

Violin came perfect! The white also has a slight glitter effect to it, so pretty!!

on January 27, 2021

Good sound, arrived on time,

on January 14, 2021

My wife loved it. Now only if she could play-LOL

on December 02, 2020

It is good for the price, but i would definitely recommend buying your own rosin, strings, and bow.

on November 19, 2020

New to violin. I was impressed with how fast it arrived. Better constructed than what I expected for the price. I did have to get a different rosen. The one sent does not due as well in colder climates. I was told it works better during warmer seasons.

on October 31, 2020

I'm sitting here on Venice beach for the first time since I've received the violin which is a few days, and I am so happy!! I am the music instrument librarian and it is my calling to learn many instruments & songs to teach others the easiest way to play them, so this is my fourth or fifth violin since my college years. I still need markers and stuff like that which is totally OK and I'm so excited to play, thank you so much! The electric acoustic violin is well constructed and sounds grrrrr8! ...

I'm sitting here on Venice beach for the first time since I've received the violin which is a few days, and I am so happy!! I am the music instrument librarian and it is my calling to learn many instruments & songs to teach others the easiest way to play them, so this is my fourth or fifth violin since my college years. I still need markers and stuff like that which is totally OK and I'm so excited to play, thank you so much! The electric acoustic violin is well constructed and sounds grrrrr8! EZ to tune and I took off the chin rest, but it was included!

on October 28, 2020

My son and the music teacher were blown away great transaction and shipping will pri do business with you again as I'm a working musico

on October 24, 2020

I am satisfied with the violin I received for the price. Here are comments: This has a much more mellow tone than my other violins. I personally like that for playing indoors. I think this is basswood and not spruce/mapel and suspect that accounts for it. There could also be a contribution due to the transducer under the bridge and/ or sound post position. The G string is nicely responsive which is not so true of my other violins. When I received it the bridge way very much too high. I lo ...

I am satisfied with the violin I received for the price. Here are comments: This has a much more mellow tone than my other violins. I personally like that for playing indoors. I think this is basswood and not spruce/mapel and suspect that accounts for it. There could also be a contribution due to the transducer under the bridge and/ or sound post position. The G string is nicely responsive which is not so true of my other violins. When I received it the bridge way very much too high. I looks like the bridge on the non electric Glarry violins and was not cut down to accommodate the added height of the transducer. The nut was also too high making playing near the nut difficult and detuning the G string here. I cut down the nut and bridge to standard dimensions for string height and I like the result. Plenty of volume in Electric mode with my guitar amp. The sound post is glued in place to keep it upright during shipment. This is good in that changing strings won't cause it to fall. I appears to be in the right place. Don't know how hard it would be to break it loose to change its position and for my violin I like the sound as it is.

on September 22, 2020

I am very satisfied with my new violin everything was packed nice in the case and no shipping damage looking at a 5 string Banjo for my next purchase thank you Erick

on September 03, 2020

Awe inspiring considering the price. The likely equivallent of $950 (starter price) is really what you would be expecting to pay even from online retailers for an electro accoustic violin and then some!! It takes a little setting up and I snapped one of the strings on the first set that I set up. Handy having the spare set and I put it down to me being a little havy handed on my part with fitting the strings and tensioning them. The bridge could possibly be doing with a little taking down, but t ...

Awe inspiring considering the price. The likely equivallent of $950 (starter price) is really what you would be expecting to pay even from online retailers for an electro accoustic violin and then some!! It takes a little setting up and I snapped one of the strings on the first set that I set up. Handy having the spare set and I put it down to me being a little havy handed on my part with fitting the strings and tensioning them. The bridge could possibly be doing with a little taking down, but the sound is absolutely immaculate. It genuinely looks and sounds like the violin could easily have cost many times it's price. The accesories are very handy and include an electronic tuner and shoulder mount. The bow took a little time to rosin but the quality and feel of it again, could have some believe that it was a separate item ans quite apart from the package. I am learning the violin, although, my sister is a professional violinist. She said that getting a violing for anything like the price I paid for this one would be very questionable. The quality, generally of the other violins available from other manufacturers makes for nothing much better than a toy or ornament. This violin has excellent tones and is very suitable for intermediate to professional playing level, but even better when adjusted and the strings replaced with slightly more expensive ones. I don't know how they did it for this price!!

on August 25, 2020

Awe inspiring considering the price. The likely equivallent of $950 (starter price) is realisically what you would be expecting to pay even from online retailers for an electro accoustic violin and then some!! It takes a little setting up and I snapped one of the strings on the first set that I set up. Handy having the spare set and I put it down to me being a little havy handed on my part with fitting the strings and tensioning them. The bridge could possibly be doing with a little taking ...

Awe inspiring considering the price. The likely equivallent of $950 (starter price) is realisically what you would be expecting to pay even from online retailers for an electro accoustic violin and then some!! It takes a little setting up and I snapped one of the strings on the first set that I set up. Handy having the spare set and I put it down to me being a little havy handed on my part with fitting the strings and tensioning them. The bridge could possibly be doing with a little taking down, but the sound is absolutely immaculate. It gebuinely looks and sounds like the violin could easily have cost many times it's price. The accesories are very handy and include an electronic tuner and shoulder mount. The bow took a little time to rosin but the quality and feel of it again, could have some believe that it was a separate item ans quite apart from the package. I am learning the violin, although, my sister is a professional violinist. She said that getting a violing for anything like the price I paid for this one would be very questionable. The quality, generally of the other violins available from other manufacturers makes for nothing much better than a toy or ornament. This violin has excellent tones and is very suitable for intermediate to professional playing level, but even better when adjusted and the strings replaced with slightly more expensive ones. I don't know how they did it for this price!!

on July 22, 2020

Proud owner of a Glarry GV102 4/4 Violin and I'm loving every minute of it. Once I had it set up, it plays wonderfully. The tuners needed reaming, nut filed and the bridge was cut for med. action and the strings were also upgraded. (setup $60+$32 strings) Great buying experience, they stand behind their products and I'll gladly recommend them to friends and family. On the fence? Don't be, at this price it's hard to pass up. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much bang for the buck you'll get. ...

Proud owner of a Glarry GV102 4/4 Violin and I'm loving every minute of it. Once I had it set up, it plays wonderfully. The tuners needed reaming, nut filed and the bridge was cut for med. action and the strings were also upgraded. (setup $60+$32 strings) Great buying experience, they stand behind their products and I'll gladly recommend them to friends and family. On the fence? Don't be, at this price it's hard to pass up. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much bang for the buck you'll get. I know I was. Their customer service is very attentive and knowledgable if any questions should arise. Glarry Music was recommended to me. So, I will recommend this student level 4/4 Violin given a proper luthier setup to anyone interested. Hope this review helps.

on July 21, 2020

Beautiful and excellent sounding violin for a beginner like me. It has a lot of extras which are excellent for us beginners, thank you Glarry,

on June 07, 2020

As a music teacher, I look for a balance of quality and affordability for my starting students. This instrument is a great balance of the two. I purchased one of these instruments to use as a demo violin with lines to teach online. The thought of having an electric violin also interested as a novel thought. What I received was a very easy to setup violin with a small but pleasant acoustic tone and a simply delightful amplified tone. Since the initial purchase, I have bought two more of these ...

As a music teacher, I look for a balance of quality and affordability for my starting students. This instrument is a great balance of the two. I purchased one of these instruments to use as a demo violin with lines to teach online. The thought of having an electric violin also interested as a novel thought. What I received was a very easy to setup violin with a small but pleasant acoustic tone and a simply delightful amplified tone. Since the initial purchase, I have bought two more of these instruments for outdoor covid-concerts and my fellow violin teacher was so impressed with the instrument that she bought one as well. Way to go Glarry Violins!

on March 31, 2020

Arrived on time, perfect condition have not played it yet ,beautiful instrument would reccomend to anyone who wants a great violin .

on March 16, 2020

Both the violin and the telecaster arrived in good condition, and they looked like they were well made. After the initial setup I was surprised at how well they both played without modification. thanks

on March 11, 2020

I received my order last week and I am so pleased with it. It is a great price for a great deal of stuff. I have been telling a lot of people about this place and their great deal. I might be getting another one for my grand-kids in the near future. If you are looking for a good starter instrument, extra one, or just one to give as a gift, I highly recommend buying one from here.

on February 22, 2020

Great company with super fast shipping

on February 03, 2020

I received my order in record time. The violin is very nice.

on January 07, 2020

I had my first lesson today and the instructor said it it a good violin. I am sooo thankful to God for Glarry Music and the excellence and quality of instruments! I'm going to buy another one for my daughter soon. God bless you and enjoy

on January 05, 2020

Amazing violin for the money! Great for beginners.

on November 12, 2019

Good product for the money. Fairly fast delivery. Satisfied customer!

on September 13, 2019

Everything came as it should and earlier than expected! Although the strings on the violin weren't in the best shape, it's an easy fix and everything else was perfect! Thank you so much!